


The Hunter, Home from the Hill

by Sinelaborenihil



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:27:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29401959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sinelaborenihil/pseuds/Sinelaborenihil
Summary: Varric Tethras welcomes Hawke home from her most recent deployment.
Relationships: Female Hawke/Varric Tethras
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	The Hunter, Home from the Hill

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response the Dragon Age Subreddit Valentines writing prompt.

Varric Tethras, Bestselling Author, Small Business Owner, and, world-renowned Professor of Literature was more nervous than he had been defending his first PhD. He paced in front of the gate, alternating between checking his watch, checking his phone, and squinting up at the display that assured him with abominable cheerfulness that the plane was on-time.  


The plane was on time and his best friend, Nayeli Hawke, had promised him that she was boarding eight hours ago. Hawke was finally coming home, for good this time, if he was reading between the lines correctly. He wasn’t sorry to hear it, especially after her last deployment to the nation of Weisshaupt. The tiny country had been embroiled in an ugly civil war and ugly civil wars meant lots of work for an Army Trauma Surgeon. He knew that Hawke had seen some shit. Her letters had gotten real dark for awhile. But she was coming home now and that was all that mattered.  


“They’ll be here soon,” his friend Donnic Hedyr said, patting his shoulder with the hand that wasn’t holding a huge bouquet of marigolds. Fuck, maybe he should have brought flowers. But he and Hawke weren’t...that. Not that they hadn’t danced around the idea, flirting with each other shamelessly over the years. They had even kissed at midnight the New Years before her last deployment. But it wasn’t like that between them. Hawke was, well, Hawke. She could have anyone she wanted. Why would she want him? He was content to be her best friend. Maker knew that she was his.  


“I know,” Varric replied, smiling up at the taller man. Donnic’s wife Aveline had been deployed with Hawke and he saw the same nervous energy in the other man that he felt himself. Aveline had been with Hawke for some of the darker shit that she had seen, something for which Varric would be eternally grateful.  


Motion to his left drew his attention and he felt a swarm of butterflies take off as a jet taxied up to the gate. It was all he could do to contain himself as he watched it come to a stop and it felt like forever before people started to trickle out. He scanned the crowd for her, feeling increasingly worried as the plane emptied. “Do you see them?” he asked Donnic. The other man didn’t respond and when Varric glanced up questioningly he saw tears streaking down Donnic’s face and a huge smile. Donnic was moving and when Varric followed his eyeline he saw them. Hawke and Aveline were emerging from the gate chatting easily with each other. Both were in their uniforms and Varric thought he saw a couple new medals on the front of each of them. Aveline tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and glanced over just in time to see Donnic before he swept her off her feet with a joyful: “Aveline!” The sound of Aveline’s laugh filled Varric’s heart with warmth and if he hadn’t had his own business to attend to, he could have watched his two friends happiness for hours.  


As it was, he found his eyes drawn inexorably towards Hawke.  


She was watching Aveline and Donnic too, her full lips curled into a warm smile. Her amber eyes sparkled with happiness and he thought perhaps tears. Her black, extremely curly hair was up in a ponytail, which surprised him. Usually she kept it too short for that. His stomach did a little flip at the sight of a new pink scar on the cedar brown skin of her cheek. _She’s here,_ he told himself as his body began to move forward of its own accord. _She’s ok._  


He was sweeping her into his arms before he really thought about what he was doing, and the sound of her laugh had tears trickling down his face in an instant. Fuck he had missed that sound. Fuck he had missed _her. Sweet merciful Maker,_ he thought as he breathed in her familiar scent. _What would I have done if I had lost her?_  


She wrapped her arms around him every bit as tightly, resting her chin on top of his head. “Hey,” she said, her voice rough. “Fuck, it’s good to see you.”  


“That’s my girl,” he managed to rasp. “Eloquent as always.” He pulled back to look at her, reaching up to cup the scarred cheek. “Hawke-”  


“I’m ok,” she said, leaning into his palm for a moment before reaching up and taking his hand.  


_You almost weren’t,_ he thought, even as he smiled up at her.  


“It’s good to see you, Varric,” Aveline said from her place tucked against Donnic’s side.  


“You too, Red,” he said, grinning up at her.  


She rolled her eyes, but there was an affectionate smile on her face as they began to walk towards the airport exit. They hugged goodbye after retrieving the women’s bags, promising to do dinner soon, and then Aveline and Donnic headed towards their car. They would be returning to base housing. Hawke, however, was going to be moving in with Varric down in the Lowtown Borough of Kirkwall proper.  


Varric hailed them a cab and the two of them climbed into the back seat together. As the cab rolled away from the airport, Varric caught Hawke looking at him. He raised an eyebrow and the sadness in her smile took his breath away.  


“I missed you,” she said quietly. To his horror, her eyes filled with tears again. “I...I just...it’s really, _really_ good to see you.”  


Varric reached over and took her hand, finding himself marvelling, not for the first time, how small and delicate her hands were. Oh sure, they were rough and calloused and clearly the hands of someone who worked hard for her living. But they belied the strength he knew they carried. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s good to see you too,” he said and it felt insufficient. Still, she laced her fingers through his with a little smile and they lapsed into companionable silence for the rest of the drive home.  


Once they had arrived Varric waved Hawke away from her bags and carried them up to the elevator that took them up to his penthouse. The apartment wasn’t lavish, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a nice little kitchen (not that he cooked much), and a balcony that looked out over Kirkwall with a nice view of the Waking Sea. Varric carried Hawke’s bags to the second bedroom and set them down before leaning against the doorframe. “So,” he said, finding his throat suddenly dry. “What do you want to do tonight, Hawke? I’ve already got dinner figured out, it should be here in a bit.”  


She grinned at him, some of the tension leaving the corners of her eyes. “Movie night?” she asked. “And alcohol. Definitely alcohol.” She glanced down at herself. “And a bath,” she said firmly.  


“I got that bubble bath you like,” he said a little shyly. He loved the way her eyes widened and the soft smile on her lips. “The one that smells like gin.”  


“It’s juniper, you ass,” she said with all of her usual sass and _fuck_ it felt so good to hear it.  


"Which is made from...?" he teased back. 

"Insufferable know-it-alls," she replied. 

He held up his hands in a sign of surrender, grinning at her. “All right, all right,” he said. “I’ll let you get to it.” At loath though he was to leave her, he turned to give her her privacy.  


“Wait,” she said, catching his wrist. She pulled him into another hug, this one more desperate. “Thank you for giving me a place to stay while I figure things out,” she whispered, leaning her head against his.  


“Of course, Hawke,” Varric said, giving her a gentle squeeze. What he meant to say was: You’re always welcome here,” but what came out was “you always have a home with me, you know that.” He realized his mistake as Hawke went suddenly still and pulled back just a little. Her gorgeous eyes were unfathomable as she looked down at him.  


“I do,” she said quietly. The moment hung there between them as they looked at each other and Hawke’s lips parted like she was about to say something or, Maker save him, _do_ something, only to be broken by Varric’s phone beginning to ring.  


He recognized the ringtone and groaned. “It’s my publisher,” he said.  


Hawke chuckled and reached up, briefly caressing his face. “Go ahead,” she said. “I’ll be out in a bit.”  


Varric cupped his hand over hers for a moment before nodding and stepping out of her room and hurrying to the balcony. “What is it Sebastian?” he growled at his editor.  


“Well pardon me?” Sebastian Vael, of Vael Publishing said, his irritation making his Starkhaven accent all the more prominent. “But I thought that I should check in with you before this went to print.”  


“Before _what_ went to print?”  


“The Champion of Kirkwall?” Sebastian said. “Your newest novel? The one that’s the not so subtle criticism of the armed services?”  


“Sebastian-”  


“It’s the dedication,” Sebastian said hurriedly.  


Varric frowned. “It was dedicated to the men and women of the armed services,” he said. “I know that it will probably rub some folks the wrong way, given the content, but I’m hoping that if it gets enough attention it’ll actually make things better for them.”  


“Well that’s just it,” Sebastian said. “It doesn’t say that anymore, or at least, not _just_ that. The draft you sent me was different.”  


“What does it say?” Varric asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had a suspicion who had been tampering with it.  


“For Nayeli, because of course it is. Your password is childishly easy, Varric Tethras. Now that she’s home, you should tell her. 20 Percent armed services discount at Rivaini’s. You’ll thank me later. <3 Bela.” There was a pause and Varric gritted his teeth at the smugness in Sebastian’s voice. “So...should I leave it?”  


Varric was about to tell him off when it hit him...why the hell not? He _had_ written the book for Nayeli. The main character was pretty closely based off of her, with her permission, of course. Why shouldn’t he dedicate it to her? “Not as is,” Varric said. “To the men and women of the Armed Services, whose dedication and sacrifice will not go forgotten. We will fight for you as you have fought for us. And for Nayeli Hawke, who represents the best of what a service member can be.”  


“Got it,” Sebastian said. “That’s kind of you, Varric. Give the final draft a read through and when you’re ready, I’ll send it out. Should be hitting your email...now.”  


“Thanks, Sebastian,” Varric said. “Now get out of the office. It’s Friday.”  


Sebastian chuckled. “Meet me for a pint next week?”  


“Your treat,” Varric said, smiling. They said their goodbyes and once he’d hung up, Varric went and fixed drinks for himself and Hawke before plopping down on one of the patio chairs. He looked out towards where the setting sun was turning the waters of the Waking Sea purple and thought about Isabela’s “dedication”. He could hardly pretend that she was wrong. He had written the book for her.  


As to the other part of her message...well, that was a dangerous path to go down. What if she was right? What if he acknowledged the depth of feeling he had for Hawke and it broke them? What if it led to him losing her forever?  


It would break his heart.  


Which, he had to acknowledge, was a smoking gun all its own. He was so lost in his thoughts that he actually jumped when Hawke touched his shoulder a little while later.  


“You ok?” she asked, plopping down next to him. “Hope it’s ok, but I tossed my stuff in the washer. I stole some of your things from the closet in my room.” She picked up the drink and grinned over at him. “Whisky on the rocks? This for me?”  


Varric could only nod as he did his best not to stare. Hawke had found one of his button-up shirts from his younger, more daring days, where the buttons didn’t start for a couple of inches from the top. It revealed a tantalizing glimpse of the tops of her breasts and when he hurriedly looked away he saw that she’d dug out an old pair of his shorts that his sedentary, academic lifestyle and love of fine food had rendered just a little too snug. Her long, brown legs shone dully in the evening light, the muscles shifting entrancingly as she stretched. But as gorgeous as she undoubtedly was, the shorts and the rolled-up sleeves of his old shirt revealed a story that made his heart want to stop. She had many new scars in various stages of healing, including what was unmistakably a graze from a bullet on her upper arm.  


“Hawke-” he managed to whisper, aching to pull her back into his arms.  


She followed his eyeline and sighed. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “It got a little rough.”  


“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked her. “You can, you know. Always. I’ll _always_ listen.”  


“I know,” she said, taking his hand. “And thanks. But...not tonight. Tonight I just want to be here with you. To be home.”  


_To be home._ He caught the way her eyes slanted over to him before she took a sip of her drink. Her words decided him, and he pulled out his phone and opened Sebastian’s email.  


“I have something for you,” he said, opening the .pdf and handing her his phone.  


She took it, flashing him a brilliant smile. “You finished it!” she said, the tops of her cheeks reddening. “I hope that you made me prettier in the...in the…” She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Varric,” she whispered. “You...the dedication...really?”  


His throat was too dry to speak, so he nodded instead.  


She put his phone down on the table and rose, hurrying over and leaning down to give him a crushing hug. “This is beautiful,” she said into his neck and he knew from her voice that she was crying. “I don’t deserve-”  


“Stop,” he said right away, catching her chin and pulling her back so he could look into her eyes. “Stop right there, Nayeli. No one deserves it more but it’s not about that. It’s about you and the woman you are. I’ve never worried about someone more in my life, but I am so proud of you I could fill a hundred books with it.”  


He blushed bright red, realizing that he’d said more than he’d really intended, but it was worth it for the sheer wonder in her eyes as she looked down at him.  


“Varric,” she whispered. “I...I don’t even know what to say besides thank you. Thank you so much. I’m so touched I can’t even…” she let out a little laugh. “Fuck me, I don’t even have words.”  


He ran his thumb over her cheek, careful of her scar. “I’m happy you like it,” he said, deeply conscious of the fact that she hadn’t pulled away.  


“Understatement,” she said and was it his imagination, or had she gotten closer? Her breath ghosted over his lips and he knew that he _definitely wasn’t imagining it._  


“Hawke,” he said, looking up into her eyes. “I need to tell you something.”  


“Ok,” she breathed and she was definitely closer. The tip of her nose brushed against his. “I’m all ears.”  


For years after they would argue about which of them actually leaned in first, but all Varric knew was that one minute he was looking into Hawke’s eyes and the next their lips were pressed together with heat and hunger and warmth that he had never known before. Hawke let out the most adorable, sexy little sound as he pulled her into his lap and took her into his arms and he loved the way her fingers slid up into his hair. Soon she was pressed flush against him, her knees on either side of his hips as she straddled him. He ran his hands up and down her back, halfway expecting to wake up, but her body felt very, very real as she shifted restlessly on top of him.  


When they finally broke the kiss they were both breathing hard and when he met her eyes again he saw that the amber had mostly been replaced by the black of her hugely dilated pupils.  


“Come on,” she said, wriggling out of his lap and pulling him to his feet. “Not out here.”  


“Worried about prying eyes?” he teased, letting her pull him back to his bedroom.  


She shut his door and leaned against it, raising an eyebrow as one of her hands went to the buttons on the front of his old shirt. “Did you want just anyone to see me?” she asked, undoing the button.  


Varric felt an uncharacteristic surge of what could only be called possessiveness. “No,” he admitted, unable to tear his eyes away from where her deft fingers were working. She finished the last button and paused, her lips curled into a sultry smile. “Why not?” she asked.  


“Everything I am thinking sounds like something from ‘Sword and Shields’,” he admitted. “Not like the stuff real people say.”  


“Try me,” she said, taking hold of the lapels of the shirt and slowly beginning to open it.  


“Because even if this is a dream that I’m about to wake up from, I don’t want to share it with anyone,” he said in a rush. “I don’t want to share _you_ with anyone, Hawke.”  


She made a pleased sound and pulled the shirt from her shoulders, letting it drop to the ground.  


Varric heard the plaintive sound of need that escaped his lips and felt his cock, already rock hard, jerk in response. “Fuck, you are gorgeous,” he whispered reverently, his eyes taking in the curve of her full breasts and the darkness of her areolas. Her nipples were hard and so very tempting, but he found himself distracted as his eyes traveled down her body. He lurched forward at the sight of a wide, twisted scar that crossed from one side of her belly to the other. “Sweet fucking Maker, Hawke! What-what happened?”  


Hawke blushed, wrapping one arm around her waist. Varric took her hand and gently pulled her arm away so that he could see. A scar like that, one that was so deep, the wound that made it would have been grievous.  


“The insurgent leader and I had a disagreement,” she said and the bitterness in her voice was almost palpable.  


Varric felt a surge of uncharacteristic rage. “Hawke...did you-” the words stuck in his throat but he forced himself to continue. “Did you almost die?”  


She looked down and Varric pulled her into his arms.  


“You never told me,” he whispered, reaching up to cup her cheek. “Why didn’t you tell me?”  


“Because I was unconscious,” she retorted and he narrowed his eyes up at her. Her expression softened and she shrugged. “And then because I knew it would freak you out. There wasn’t anything you could do and I was coming home anyway. I figured I’d tell you then.” She let out a soft laugh. “I wasn’t expecting to tell you this way.” She shot him a tentative smile. “Though this way might have its advantages.”  


“Such as?” he growled, trying to quiet his pounding heart. She was ok. She was home. That was what mattered.  


She arched her back, pressing her breasts against him more firmly and Varric couldn’t help but reach up and cup them, stroking his thumbs over her nipples. She gasped quietly and the sound went straight to his cock. “Distraction, mostly,” she breathed. “Focus on the titties, Varric, and not how mad you are at me.”  


“I’m not mad,” he said, dipping his head to suck one of her nipples. She moaned and he smiled, letting it pop from his mouth so that he could give the other the same attention. “Just...freaked out, Hawke. I don’t like how close I came to losing you without even knowing it.”  


“You didn’t though,” she said, stroking her fingers through his hair. “And now you can have your way with me.”  


His breath caught in his throat as he looked up at her. “Hawke?”  


She kissed him again, this one slow and deep and so sweet it made his eyes burn. “Varric,” she said, leaning her forehead against his. “After that happened I...I promised myself something.”  


“What’s that?” he asked, putting his arms around her.  


Her cheeks were the most adorable shade of pink. “That I’d tell you,” she said with a little shrug.  


“Tell me what?” he asked, his heart hammering at his ribs and filling his ears with the sound of his blood pumping. _There’s no way._  


“Really?” she asked, pulling back and gesturing down at the naked half of her body. “You don’t have _any_ idea?”  


“You could just want to blow of some steam with a short, hairy man,” he somehow managed to tease back. “I can’t imagine you had many opportunities while deployed.”  


“More than you’d think,” she replied and Varric felt that surge of possessiveness again.  


“Oh?” he growled, picking her up.  


She squeaked and then laughed when he tossed her onto the bed, propping herself up on her elbows and watching as he took off his shirt. “More of that not wanting to share me, Varric?”  


“Damn right,” he said, sliding into to bed and pulling her against himself. She fit so perfectly against his side that he had to kiss her again.  


“Stop trying to distract me,” she said against his lips, her nails trailing through his chest hair when she pulled back. “Because as much as I _do_ want to blow off steam with this particular short, hairy man, I also want him to know how I feel about him.” She took a deep breath and then met his eyes and for a second he saw a flash of the soldier, the field medic, the impossibly strong woman who threw herself into harms way to protect the people around her. “Varric, you are the best friend I have, which makes this scary as hell because if I fuck it up, then I’ve lost the most important person in my life.”  


“You could never lose me, Hawke,” Varric said immediately.  


“Even if I told you that I’m in love with you?” she asked in a soft, small voice. “Because I am, Varric. I have been for years. And when I thought that I was going to die the biggest regret of my life was that I never told you.”  


“Sweetheart,” Varric breathed, pulling her in for another kiss. “I love you too,” he said against her lips and fuck if it wasn’t the most honest thing he’d ever said. “For years.”  


Hawke’s breathless laugh was the most adorable sound he’d ever heard. “Thank the Maker,” she said, looking at him with eyes that shone. He joined her in a laugh and then they were fumbling together, striping out of the rest of their clothes. Their next kiss was a heated one as Varric slid inside of her and he loved how it felt to have her moan against his lips as they began to move together. They clung to each other whispering soft endearments as they slowly built their pleasure. Hawke’s body felt perfect beneath him and her quiet sounds of need were better than anything he could have imagined and put to paper. When they finally tipped over the edge, it was softer than he would have expected, quieter, and as they lay together afterwards he wasn’t surprised by the tears on either of their cheeks. Hawke tucked herself into his side, resting her head on his chest as she absently toyed with his chest hair and he smoothed his hand up and down her back. He tilted his head down and kissed the top of her head. “Welcome home, Hawke.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that you enjoyed!


End file.
